The teams are now entering the last phase of design-development

Almost one year to the day Silverstein Properties unveiled designs for Towers Two, Three, and Four, yesterday World Trade Center (WTC) officials and architects gathered for a public progress report on their designs and construction plans.

Speaking from 7 World Trade Center, developer Larry Silverstein welcomed Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) Chairman Avi Schick, New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Port Authority Executive Director Anthony Shorris, Memorial President Joe Daniels, and others.

Together with the architects they announced that designs for the 

Maki and Associates architect presents 150 Greenwich

To accommodate the WTC rebuilding timeline established by the city, state, and Silverstein in fall 2006, Port Authority crews are now building the new "east bathtub." That bathtub will form the basin where all three towers will rise, with Santiago Calatrava's WTC Transportation Hub between them.

The southern half of the east bathtub is slated for completion first, enabling Silverstein to begin construction of Towers Four and Three first in January 2008. Located at 150 and 175 Greenwich Streets, Tower Four will rise 64 stories and Tower Three to 71 stories.

Erection of Tower Two at the north end of the site is expected to commence in July 2008. It will stand 79 stories tall at 200 Greenwich Street.

Refinements of the three new towers were consistent in several ways at street level. All three will orient their office lobbies westward, facing Greenwich Street and the recently renamed National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the WTC. Entrances on the north, west, and south sides of the lobbies will allow in office tenants, and each feature spacious, multi-level glass façades. Each tower also will be built for LEED Gold certification.

To the east, multiple retail and WTC Transportation Hub entrances will line each tower's Church Street side. Retail will constitute more than a half-million square feet of the towers' lower levels and sub-grade floors, where they also will interconnect.

The retail concourses will get added foot traffic from the reopening of the street grid through the east side of the site, though Cortlandt Street will be open to pedestrians only between Church and Greenwich Streets.

Schick said that both public and private organizations will occupy the new towers' office floors, and that the LMDC is committed to making the rebuilt WTC vibrant through amenities and cultural components. Already the LMDC has allocated $55 million to build the Performing Arts Center, along with $30 million slated for various cultural institutions around Lower Manhattan. More than $25 million is dedicated to building and enhancing parks from river to river south of Canal Street.

Daniels announced that the $350 million fundraising goal for the memorial and museum has nearly been met, with more than $300 million banked so far. More than 33,000 donors have contributed, including corporations, school groups, individuals, and others around the country.

Memorial and museum designs are in place and foundation construction is proceeding. Recently two steel "tridents" that were part of the original north twin tower's lower façade were salvaged for display in the museum. Designed by Scandinavian architecture firm Snøhetta, the museum also will be home to a 200-seat auditorium, classrooms, and several exhibition spaces.

The memorial is planned to open in September 2009, and the museum in 2010. With the Freedom Tower and WTC Transportation Hub slated for 2011 completion and all three towers opening a year later, the final vision offered by Daniel Libeskind's master plan will be realized by 2012.

More information about the World Trade Center's components can be found here: Tower Two, Tower Three, Tower Four, Freedom Tower, WTC Transportation Hub, Memorial and Museum.  Silverstein Properties also hosts www.wtc.com and www.wtcrising.com.

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